Netherfield's cricketers bounced back to form with a 132-run victory over Leyland and Farington in the Northern Premier League on Saturday.

The maximum 15-point haul pushed them up from 10th to seventh place in the table and, after pacesetters Preston were beaten, it leaves them 15 points adrift of top spot.

Despite the emphatic final victory margin, things did not look rosy for Netherfield when they slumped to 65-6 in the 19th over.

A sixth-wicket stand of 104 between Paul Strydom and skipper Tommy Prime pulled them round. Strydom eventually finished with 74 and Prime made 28 and with useful late runs from call-up Ben Haddrick (a batsman, in for the injured bowler Stuart Nixon), Netherfield felt confident enough to declare early on 204-7 with three of their 57 overs unbowled.

The assessement proved correct as Leyland lost early wickets to be 18-3. It was all downhill for the home side afterwards as they crashed to 51-9 before the last-wicket pair made 21 to hold off the inevitable defeat until the score had moved on to 72 with still 14 overs left to bowl.

Leg-spinner Marc Hadwin, 4-15, and Ryan Wilson 3-13 and Strydom 2-15 shared the bowling honours.

June 2, 2003 11:30